Weismannism up to date (1893). 157 



It is of more importance to consider the means 

 whereby Weismann seeks to save his theory of evo- 

 lution after he has thus removed its foundation in his 

 former postulate of the absolute stability of germ- 

 plasm. As far as I can understand, he seeks to do so 

 as follows. 



In the first place, it must be noted that after 

 his changes of view with regard to polar bodies, 

 unicellular organisms, and the significance of sexual 

 reproduction, nothing remains of his original theory 

 of evolution save what he can manage to retain of his 

 original theory of variation as due to amphimixis. 

 But, as we have just seen, he has surrendered this 

 latter theory also. Therefore, at first sight it appears 

 that no part of the former can possibly remain. 

 Beginning at the apex, he has removed, stone by 

 stone, his doctrine of descent, and, on arriving at 

 its fundamental postulate — the absolute stability of 

 germ-plasm — simply turns it upside down. Surely, 

 therefore, it may be thought, there is here as complete 

 a destruction as well could be of all this side of 

 Weismann's system. Such, however, he endeavours 

 to show is not the case. He regards it as still possible 

 to retain so much of his theory of descent as is 

 presented by what he can save of his theory of vari- 

 ation, thus : — 



Although he now represents that the instability of 



kind should suffer an elaborate system of theories to be published and 

 translated, at the very time when he is himself engaged in producing 

 another work showing the untenable character of their basal premises. 

 At any rate, it would have saved his English readers no small trouble 

 and confusion, if Weismann had added notes to the translations of his 

 essays on Polar Bodies, on The Significance of Sexual Reproduction, 

 and on Amphimixis, to the effect that he had abandoned some of 

 their most distinctive features before the translations had gone to press. 



